Stay, accept postings to rural and deprived areas- Health Minister appeals to newly trained pharmacists

Newly qualified and registered pharmacists have been encouraged to accept postings to rural and underserved areas, while also embracing digital technology to facilitate access to quality pharmaceutical care.

The Minister of Health, Dr. Bernard Okoe-Boye, who offered this advice in a speech delivered on his behalf by the Deputy Minister, Alexander Akwasi Acquah, stated that this would enhance the healthcare system and make it accessible to all Ghanaians.

He delivered these remarks at the induction ceremony for 364 newly qualified and registered pharmacists, which was organized by the Pharmacy Council in Accra yesterday.

The inductees hailed from Kwame Nkrumah University of Technology (KNUST), University of Ghana, Central University College, University of Health and Allied Sciences, Ho, and included foreign-trained pharmacists who had passed the Ghana Pharmacy Professional Qualifying Examination in August and December 2023.

The event's theme was 'Universal Health Coverage: Embracing the Digital Frontiers to Leverage Access to Quality Healthcare.'

The minister noted that the temptation to seek better opportunities outside Ghana's borders is common, and a significant portion of the dynamic pharmaceutical workforce has either already left or is planning to leave. Meanwhile, there is a significant gap in pharmaceutical care for practitioners in the country's deprived areas.

He emphasized the importance of health practitioners remaining in Ghana and adopting digital technology, stating, "Digital technology is an enhancing tool for your presence and involvement, not a replacement for your much-needed professional services."

He assured them of the ministry's support in overcoming this challenge and urged them to aim for a high quality of care in their daily professional lives while building their personal and collective capacities to improve the efficiency of their operations.

"Dear inductees, the future is bright if you maintain focus and resist the temptation to overindulge in the social aspects of digitalization at the expense of your patients and profession. Embrace the positives and mitigate the negatives of digital technology in the performance of your professional duties to ensure the nation benefits maximally from your services," the minister added.

Mr. Thomas Boateng Appiagyei, the former President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana and the Chief Executive Officer of Rock Chemists Ltd, who was the guest of honor, stated that embracing digital frontiers requires ongoing commitment to critical, creative, and solution-oriented thinking.

He urged the newly qualified pharmacists to employ critical and creative thinking to develop genuine technology-driven solutions wherever they serve as pharmacists.

Dr. Daniel Amaning Danquah, the Acting Registrar of the Pharmacy Council, congratulated the newly qualified pharmacists and encouraged them to adhere to the "Apothecary's Oath," which aims to maintain the highest standards of professionalism, ethics, and patient care, and to make valuable contributions to the healthcare system.

At the conclusion of the induction, Dr. Kate Coleman-Sarfo, a Consultant Clinical Pharmacist at the 37 Military Hospital, was honoured as the 2022/2023 preceptor of the year, an award sponsored by Tobinco Pharmaceuticals Ltd.

Dr. Nana Yaw Wireko-Ampong received the Law, Ethics, and Policies Award, while Dr. Michael Opoku Fordjour was presented with the Pharmacy Practice Award and the John Ocran Award for being the overall best candidate.